The Lords of Shadow
In the beginning there were two forces Duras and Gyna'hes. Diametrically opposed the represented the clash between good & evil, law & chaos, light & dark. These powers had struggled against each other since the beginning of time. Their struggle had lasted so long that they realised that neither could be victorious and that the very fabric of the universe would be in jeopardy if it continued. They agreed rather than destroy what they were fighting for they would leave this plane of existence and appoint 7 proxies that would incorporate both of their essences and that through their rule balance could be achieved. The 7 proxies or guardians were chosen from an immortal race, akin to shadows, that would, being neither light nor dark could rule impartially and the balance of light and darkness would be maintained. Having appointed these guardians the two distilled their knowledge into tablets of power that were placed in an ark so the seven would be guided by their wisdom. They then removed themselves from this plane and in essence became two distinct planes of reality Gyna'hes became the Obliviat, Duras becoming the Vitaliat. The war however was not to end there. Gyna'hes attempted one last coup to gain the upper hand. In the moment of her apotheosis she dragged the seven guardians into herself, in effect trapping them within the Obliviat. What was left of Duras, his essential core, concentrated itself and cast itself into the Obliviat so that a beacon of light would shine within the Obliviat, turning into a place of shadow rather than darkness. The seven would have been lost were it not for the essence of Duras, but there were able to build their own realms Temporus, The Lord of Time. It is fitting that I am starting with the Lord of Time as He was the first to answer my prayers. After all, He was here before all others. He keeps the universe turning, to His eternal beat of time. Time does strange things in His presence, it can seem to be taking an eternity for your heart to beat, or your life can pass in an instant. In His presence time has no meaning, in essence it is being formed and seems to be sluggish in its flow, tick no longer following tock. I can only describe it as being the single most surreal experience in my life. The Lord appears to me as a small old man dressed as what I can only describe as a gardener, I also had the strongest feeling that I had seen Him before. When I questioned Him on this He answered "As all see the Lady of Sorrows at the end, so all will see me at the beginning." Although all the other Lords of Shadow have a place in the Obliviat He has none, but travels through both the Obliviat and the mortal plane never looking behind him. While the other six were chosen he was already there. Mo 'Hsh Pytt, The Lord of War He stands eight feet tall and towers above all men. He is the greatest of all warriors, unbeaten and enduring. Yet His body shows the scars of countless titanic battles, the wounds of his Avatars. He has an immense presence, seeming to fill the space around Him. I am impressed and fearful as I write these words, He is that imposing upon me. He wears His famed armour, impenetrable to both blade and arrow. Over the ages, His armour has become one with His body making it like second skin. He carries an axe made of the patterns of the holy warriors of the temple, the greatest of the great and the mightiest of the mighty. The chosen ones that have become His Avatar in battle and fallen in His name. He lives in the valley of Eternal Battle sitting on His iron throne, surrounded by the bones of the fallen, atop a mountain of the weapons of those he has defeated, and the fallen warriors killed in his name. Kofius, The Lord of Peace If the Lord of Peace appears to you, consider yourself blessed. For He only comes to those who are truly enlightened. When He appeared to me, He was dressed as a white robed priest. His mere presence can prevent war and reveal the true pointlessness of your violent actions. Violence in His presence will result in a deep sleep, in which you will receive an insight into the futility of your actions. He lives on the Lake of Tranquility, a place in which all live in a true state of harmony and enlightenment. Mandalzan, the Fallen One, The Lord of Lies He is a dark, small, and slightly twisted man, but oddly pleasant. Everything he says has a double meaning, very often a valid sarcasm. He lives in the Citadel of Lies, a maze that cannot be solved, cannot be left, without His permission, due to its constantly changing form. At the centre of His Citadel, in the highest tower, is the Black Library where He lives. In the Black Library there can be found the truth behind every lie ever told. Pahx'man, The Lord of Truth He takes the form of a paladin, a crusader knight solid in his purpose. His armour is reflective, in which your own personal truth is reflected. He lives in awhite tower in the Desert of Truth defended by a unicorn. Bez, The Lord of Joy Bez is the happiest of all of the Lords, but like all clowns while He may be laughing on the surface, He is crying within. After Myst killed His wife, His only love, He has never been the same. He has spilt into two minds, representing the two sides of joy. One side is the Bez that loves to party, happiness and joy. His other side is the side that victimises for fun, fetishism and the destructive side to love. He lives on Bucket island. Soma-Ertot, The Lady of Sorrows Where Temporus was the first so Soma-Ertot will be the last. The Lady of Sorrows is the most tragically beautiful of all the Lords. When I first saw Her I thought that my heart might stop at that moment. Her voice is soft but with a hint of ice. She is the psychopomp, the guardian and guide of the faithful departed, carrying them to the other side. She can be found walking on the costline of the sea of sorrows, an ocean of all the tears that have ever been shed.